![]() Unfortunately, this mechanism is paired to a plastic viewfinder cover. ![]() To be fair, other areas of the camera feel much stronger, such as the folding, metal viewfinder hood. ![]() ![]() The same can be said for the battery door on the bottom of the camera. This centralized tab leaves the corners of the door to wiggle slightly. The film door is rather flimsy, and when latched shut is held in place by only a single locking tab. Constructed of a mix of hard plastic segments and thin metal panels, the camera feels solid enough, with some exceptions. But after I’d shot the first pack of film it was clear that, while this is a fun camera, things aren’t quite as perfect as Mint might have us think.īuild quality is good, not great. Wow – that’s ambitious, and I really want it to be true. Mint’s marketing material shows no hesitation in referencing TLRs of the past, and goes so far as to call their camera “an engineering masterpiece that synchronizes elegance and function”. Unpack the camera, load it with included AA batteries and not-included Fujifilm 8.6×4.6cm Instax film and you’re ready to shoot. Packaged in a small, dense box, it’s the kind of consumer-porn presentation that one expects from any gizmo company operating in 2016. When the camera arrives it does so in style. The TL70 is that machine, and in many ways it’s the natural culmination of Mint’s journey. Pretty impressive, if not a bit expensive – so it’s no wonder that photo geeks everywhere took notice when Mint announced they had developed a brand-new instant camera. More notably, they’ve developed what they call “Time Machine”, a series of Polaroid SX-70-based accessories that offer a range of never-before-seen exposure modes. Mint’s been around for a few years now, and they originally made a name for themselves by selling superbly restored and sometimes-modified Polaroid cameras. This unique camera from Hong Kong promises to “make ordinary days extraordinary”, but with its uncommonly high price, is it a worthwhile toy? Its vintage-inspired twin lenses sit ready to expose Fujifilm’s decidedly modern Instax pack film, and while it’s a superbly fun camera, it’s also something of a conundrum. Mint’s InstantFlex TL70 is a twin lens reflex in the vein of Rollei and other TLRs of the distant past. I spent this past weekend shooting an instant camera like no other. ![]()
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